Visit St. Peter’s Tomb: Grottoes & Necropolis
The Vatican Grottoes are the underground chambers directly beneath St. Peter’s Basilica containing the tombs of over 100 popes, monarchs, and saints — including St. John Paul II and Queen Christina of Sweden. Entry is free with Basilica access. The Vatican Necropolis (Scavi Tour) is a separate, deeper archaeological site 5–12 metres below the Basilica, containing an ancient Roman burial ground and the tomb believed to be St. Peter’s — it requires a separate ticket (from €105) and advance booking via the Vatican Excavations Office. The Necropolis is one of the most exclusive and historically significant experiences in Rome; maximum 12 participants per tour.
Beneath the marble floors of St. Peter’s Basilica lies a layered underworld of history: the Grottoes, where popes have been buried since the early Church; and deeper still, the Necropolis — a 1st and 2nd century Roman burial ground discovered during excavations commissioned by Pope Pius XII in 1940. At its heart is the Aedicula, the ancient shrine believed to mark the burial spot of the Apostle Peter.
This page covers both the Vatican Grottoes (free with Basilica entry) and the Vatican Necropolis Scavi Tour (separate paid ticket), along with all guided tour options that combine these underground sites with the Basilica dome climb.
Top Tickets
The Vatican Grottoes are the underground chambers directly beneath St. Peter’s Basilica, accessible via a staircase near the high altar. Entry is free with Basilica access. They contain the tombs of popes, monarchs, and saints and take approximately 20–30 minutes to walk through. The Vatican Necropolis is a separate, deeper site — an ancient Roman cemetery 5–12 metres below the Grottoes, requiring a separate Scavi Tour ticket (from €105) booked in advance through the Vatican Excavations Office. The Necropolis contains St. Peter’s tomb and is limited to 12 people per tour.
| Vatican Grottoes | Vatican Necropolis (Scavi Tour) | |
|---|---|---|
| Access | Free with St. Peter’s Basilica entry | Separate ticket — from €105 |
| Booking | No advance booking needed | Must book in advance; very limited availability |
| Depth | Just below the Basilica floor | 5–12 metres deeper; beneath the Grottoes |
| Contents | Papal tombs (100+ popes, monarchs, saints) | Ancient Roman cemetery; St. Peter’s tomb |
| Duration | 20–30 minutes self-guided | ~3 hours guided tour |
| Group size | Open to all visitors | Maximum 12 participants |
| Age restriction | None | Under 15 not permitted |
| Photography | Not permitted | Not permitted |
The Vatican Grottoes are worth visiting on any Basilica visit — they are free, atmospheric, and contain extraordinary history. The Scavi Tour is one of the most exclusive experiences in Rome: a genuinely archaeological journey to one of Christianity’s most sacred sites. For the Basilica itself, see our St. Peter’s Basilica tickets page.
The Vatican Grottoes are free to visit with a St. Peter’s Basilica ticket and are open daily from 9:00am to 6:00pm (last entry 30 minutes before closing). They are closed on Wednesday mornings due to the Papal Audience. No advance booking is required. Photography is not permitted inside the Grottoes.
The Grottoes are a series of chapels and corridors sitting on the level of the original 4th-century Constantinian basilica — the predecessor of the current St. Peter’s. Among the most visited tombs are those of St. John Paul II (who was moved here after beatification before later being placed in a chapel inside the Basilica itself), Pope Pius XII, Pope John Paul I, and numerous other popes stretching back centuries. The tomb of Queen Christina of Sweden, who converted to Catholicism in 1655, is also here, as is the monument to Bonnie Prince Charlie.
The atmosphere is remarkable — hushed, dimly lit, and far less crowded than the Basilica above. Most visitors spend 20 to 30 minutes in the Grottoes. There is no guided tour of the Grottoes as a standalone experience — you walk through independently with signage identifying the major tombs.
The Vatican Necropolis Scavi Tour is a small-group guided tour (maximum 12 participants) through the ancient Roman burial ground 5–12 metres beneath St. Peter’s Basilica. The tour takes approximately 3 hours and includes a guided visit to the burial chambers, mausoleums, and tomb inscriptions, culminating at the Aedicula — the ancient shrine over the grave believed to be St. Peter’s. The tour is conducted in English and costs from €105 per person. Children under 15 are not permitted. Photography is strictly prohibited throughout.
The tour begins at the Office of the Excavations (Ufficio Scavi) behind the left side of St. Peter’s. Your guide leads a group of up to 12 through the narrow underground streets of the necropolis — a preserved Roman cemetery of the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, with mausolea, inscriptions, frescoes, and burial chambers largely intact. The route culminates at the Trophy of Gaius, the ancient aedicula (shrine) built over what was identified as St. Peter’s grave during excavations in the 1940s, and confirmed by bone analysis in 1968.
The Apostle Peter was believed by early Christians to be buried on the Mons Vaticanus (Vatican Hill), then a pagan cemetery outside the city walls. Emperor Constantine built the original basilica directly over the site in the 4th century, preserving and honouring the tomb. The 1940s excavations found the Trophy of Gaius, a 2nd-century memorial structure, above a grave containing the bones of an elderly man — subsequently attributed by Pope Paul VI in 1968 to St. Peter. Standing at the Aedicula at the end of the Scavi Tour is, for many visitors, one of the most affecting moments of any Rome trip.
A guided visit to St. Peter’s Basilica followed by a tour of the Vatican Grottoes. Maximum 25 participants, with a licensed guide in your chosen language. Available on most days, with only afternoon slots on Wednesdays due to the Papal Audience.
Price: from €25 adult · Child (4–17): €19 · Under 4: free
Duration: approximately 1 hour 20 minutes
Languages: English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish
Meeting point: Largo del Colonnato nr. 5, outside St. Peter’s Square
Combines a guided St. Peter’s Basilica visit with the dome climb (elevator to terrace, then 231 steps to the top) and a tour of the Vatican Grottoes. Maximum 25 participants. Time slots: 8am, 8:30am, 11:30am, 12pm, 1pm, 1:45pm.
Price: from €60 adult · Child (4–17): €51 · Under 4: free
Duration: approximately 2.5–3 hours
Note: If the dome terrace is closed due to bad weather, a partial refund is available or you can cancel for a full refund
The most exclusive Vatican experience available. A small-group guided tour (maximum 12 participants) through the ancient Roman Necropolis beneath St. Peter’s Basilica, culminating at St. Peter’s tomb. Includes a skip-the-line guided visit to St. Peter’s Basilica.
Price: from €105 per person
Duration: approximately 3 hours
Start times: 9am, 11am, 1:30pm, 2:30pm
Group size: maximum 12 participants
Age restriction: Children under 15 not permitted
Photography: Strictly prohibited throughout the tour
Opening Hours
| Site | Opening Hours | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Vatican Grottoes | 9:00am – 6:00pm daily | Free with Basilica entry; closed Wednesday mornings (Papal Audience) |
| Vatican Necropolis | Mon–Fri 9am–6pm; Sat 9am–5pm | Last entry 1.5 hours before closing; closed Sundays |
| Wednesday restriction | Basilica & Grottoes: closed mornings | Necropolis tours not available Wednesday mornings |
How to Book the Vatican Necropolis Scavi Tour
The Scavi Tour is one of the most in-demand and tightly controlled Vatican experiences. Availability is extremely limited — groups are capped at 12 and only a small number of tours run each day. Book as far in advance as possible, ideally 2–4 weeks ahead during peak season (April–October).
Yes — the Vatican Grottoes are free to visit with any St. Peter’s Basilica ticket. Entry to the Basilica itself is also free. No advance booking is required for the Grottoes.
The Scavi Tour can be booked through authorised tour operators. Book as early as possible — the tour is limited to 12 participants and slots fill weeks in advance during peak season.
Children under 15 are not permitted on the Vatican Necropolis Scavi Tour. There are no age restrictions for the Vatican Grottoes or for guided Basilica and Grottoes tours.
Approximately 3 hours, including the guided St. Peter’s Basilica visit. The underground Necropolis portion itself takes around 1.5 to 2 hours.
Photography is not permitted in either the Vatican Grottoes or the Vatican Necropolis. This rule is strictly enforced throughout both sites.
The Vatican Grottoes are directly beneath the Basilica floor, containing papal tombs from throughout the Church’s history, and are free to visit. The Vatican Necropolis is a separate, deeper archaeological site — an ancient Roman cemetery 5–12 metres below the Grottoes — containing St. Peter’s tomb. It requires a separate Scavi Tour ticket (from €105) and is limited to 12 visitors per tour.
For visitors with an interest in early Christianity, Roman archaeology, or the history of St. Peter’s itself, yes — it is one of the most extraordinary and exclusive experiences in Rome. For general sightseers on a tight schedule, the free Vatican Grottoes provide a genuinely atmospheric underground experience without the cost or booking complexity.
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